Railway-car.



` Patented lune I9, |900. R. HAHDING.

` RAILWAY CAR.

heet 2.

med out 23, 1s99\ molodel.)

TH: Norms Prins cu4 PNnrcLLlmo., wAsmmsTcN. D. c.

UNITED A STATES? PATENT EFICE.

A RUSSELL HARDING, oE'sT. Louis, MISSOURI.V

RAILWAY-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Y LettersPatent No. 651,968, dated June V19, 1900.

Be it known that LRUssELL HARDING, a'l

citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artjto which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to railway-cars, and more particularly to the construction of the end sill and platform connection with the carframe proper.

In the ordinary construction of cars it is customary to make the licor-frame of the car of longitudinal sills extending the length of the car-body only and then to connect the ends of such sills together by an end or transverse sill, the car-platform being thereafter attached to the end of the floor-frame as an independent structure. This construction forms a joint betweenthe platform and the end of the car-frame proper, which in case of collision breaks either upward or downward and permits one car to telescope with the one next adjacent.

My invention aims, among other things, to overcome this objection, and itconsists of the parts and combinations that will be hereinafter morefully described, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in per-- spective of a car provided withmy improvement, the car-body and other parts being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is-a plan View of one end of the hoor-framing, the superstructure being omitted. Fig. 3 is a half-rear and half-front elevation of the same, parts being shown in section. Fig. 4 is aside elevation of one end of the floor-framing, showing the step-opening.

In the drawings, A represents the usual car body, the longitudinal sills a a of which are usually only coextensive in length therewith. In my present improvement, however, these sills a a are extended beyond the ends of the car-body approximately the length of the platform and connect with the end sill B, as at a3, Fig. 2, so that any blow struck upon the end sill is directly transmitted to the cen- Application med october 23, 1899.V

Serial No. 734.572. (No mmlpl) tral longitudinal sills. The end sill may be projecting lugs or flanges b2, which may be j perforated at b4 for the usual securing-bolts, perforations b5 being likewise formed in the plate b of the sill, through which the usual brake-stas, uncoupling-rods, rods for operating the folding vestibule, and the like may be passed.

To provide for the step-opening in passenger-cars, the end sill has projecting from it between'its ends the step-plates h6 h6, and at suitable distances from the end sill these plates are formed with the abutting plates 197, to which the side and intermediate sills a2 a of the floor-frame are secured. The under side of the plates b, b, and b7 I preferably form with a web bs bs, extending around theA step-opening, and unite these webs by the projecting portion b9, which serves as a strengthening-web and may constitute a step of the car, ifdesired. The web bs, under thevstepplate 197, is preferably formed with a shoulder blo, against which the end of the intermediate sills a a' may abut, and both the intermediate and side sills af a2 are or may be secured to the under web of the step and abutting` plates b6 E17, respectively.

Attached to or formed as part of the webs bs bs, extending from the plate t7 and `the outer portion bu of the end sill, are the lugs or projections s s', respectively, which support between them theT-piece S, preferably, though not necessarily, forming part of the trap-door for closing the step-opening. This piece S forms a compression-strut between the exposed and otherwise unprotected end b of the end sill and the side sills a2 of the licor-framing, so that a blow struck upon the overhanging portion of the end sill will be transmitted through the said strut to the longitudinal sills of the car.

As a means for giving additional support to the superstructure, the projecting lugs Z112 IOO areforined on the step side of the end sills,

and corresponding lugs bis are formed on the step side of the plate t7.

While I have preferably shown and described my invention as formed of steel or'V .metal castings, it is to be understood vthat I do not limit myself in this respect, aslthe parts thereof may be formed of any material suitable for the purpose, and I may also em-V ploy any form of draft-rigging for hauling the cars. Y From the foregoing it will be apparent that anyT blow struck upon the end sill will be directly transmitted to the longitudinal sills of the floor-framing, and by dispensing with the independent platform' the liability of tele-y scoping is greatly diminished. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Pateut" Sl .i v

1. Ina car, the combination of. the center longitudinal sills extending the entire length '-of the car including the platform, side sills,

an end sill secured to the center longitudinal sills, and a removable strut interposed between the end of the side sills and the end sill.`

2. In a car, the combination of the center longitudinal sills extending the lengthof the p ,l car including the platform, an end sill sef 3 y vided with a step-opening, said end sill becured to the center longitudinal sill, and prov ing connected to the side sills, and a strut spanning the step-opening between the ends of the sidesills andthe end sill.

3. In a car, the combination of the center longitudinal sills extending thev lengthvof the car including the platform, an end sill connected to the center ,longitudinal sills and provided with a `step-plate and an abutting v plate forming a step-opening, side longitudinal sills secured to the abutting plate, and a j v strut interposed between the end of the side longitudinal sills and the end sills and spanning the step-opening.

. 4. In a car, the combination of the center Y longitudinal sills extending the length of the car including the platform, an end sill connectedto thecenter longitudinal sills and provided with a step-plate and an abutting plate, intermediate and side sills secured respectively to the step andabutntingplates, and a strut interposed between the end of the `.side sill and the end sill.

5. In a car, the combination of the longitudinal sills extending the entire length of the hcar including.v the platform, the end sill provided with a flange or web extending therefrom and to which the longitudinal sills are secured, lugs' projecting from the end sill to which the superstructure is adapted to be se- 6. In a car, the combination of center longitudinal sills extending the entire length of the car including the platform, an end sill having a step-plate and an abuttingplate, side sills secured to the abutting plate, and

a projection carried by the end sill and abutting plate,a removable strut supported on said projections and spanningthe step-opening,

7. Ina car, an end sill comprising an upper transverse plate, stepplates projecting therefrom between the ends of said upper plate, abutting plates, saidl plates being pro- =vided with projecting webs,'strengthening websjoining the said plates and lugs formed `on said plates adapted for the attachment of -the superstructure. y

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSELL HARDING.

W itnesses: p

F. J. W. LEON,

J. II. BIGGERSTAFF.

cured, and holes in said end sill for the passage of staffs and rods. 

